St. Paul daily globe., 1887-10-23


week for some time past.
One of the principal sales in impor-
tance that has been made public is the
sale by the Germania bank and the eS-
tate Of William F. Davidson of seventy
five feet front on Wabasha street by 100
feet deep, to the st. Paul Masonic Tenn
pie association. The contracts have all
been made and signed between the
proper parties, and The Masonic frater-
nifty are making active preparations to
raise the money TO pay for the ground
contracted for and to put themselves in
condition 10 improve the same as early
as practicable.
-
Several years ago, during the life of
Commodore Davidson, he had sketches
made for magnificent building that he
intended to erect on the corner of Fifth
and WabaSha streets, and the plan con-
templated contained a magnificent hall
and rooms to accommodate the various
Masonic bodies on the upper floors of
the structure. Subsequently some
changes were made in Commodore Da-
Wilson's plans, and instead of improv-
ing that corner, he and Col. Davidson
erected the Union block on the north
western corner of Fourth and Cedar.
The plans, however, originally made by
SOIllHOuO1C DoNluSOll, W IUNC blldU
ground occupied by magnificent Ma
sonic temple, seem more than likely to be
realized in full. The location is admir-
ably adopted for structure of this char
acter. 1t is on high ground, very cen
trally located, and is convenient and ac
cesslble from all directions.
The new cable line passing on Fourth
street will be only one square distant
10 Il, 10 -,
will pass directly along its front on
Wabasha street, connecting upper and
lower town. The members of the Ma
sonic fraternity quietly congratulate
themselves on the positive action taken
by their committee, which consisted of
John SOmmers, Mr.. Folsom and Mr..
BuckOut.
The grand lodge will meet in st. Paul
Immediately after the 1St of January in
annual session, and it is expected that
MaSonS from all parts of the state will
be interested in raising the funds to
erect the temple, which will do honor
to the fraternity, and serve as a sort of
central point for the Northwest.
-
Of course no plans have yet been pre-
pared, but the general idea is to build a
very high building, and of most sub
Stantial character. with stores below,
offices midway and society halls and
rooms Oh the upper floors, the whole to
have passenger elevators and electric
lights. John SOmmers, who is chair
man of the committee. IS proprietor of
the Windsor hotel, and has had many
years experience as a practical builder.
He was the contractor who in 1876
erected the Davidson blcck, at the cor
ner of Fourth and Jackson streets, and
he built many other large buildings in
this city. He personally planned and
built the Windsor hotel, and his eX-
perience in the past will doubtless be
worth many thousand dollars to the
fraternity in planning and building the
structure which they contemplate.
80
Work on the cable line is still being
pushed with great vigOr, and multi
tudeS of men are employed along the
line day and night, and if men and
money can accomplish its completion
before severe weather interfereS, it will
be completed. A portion of the track
age is being covered with granite blocks
between and Oh each side of the rails.
The lower end of the line extending
from Broadway to Jackson streets will
soon be covered in and apparently
ready for operation. The completion of
this line to Broadway, and the fact that
it terminates at that street for the pres
ent, marks Broadway as the present
eaSterly terminus of business, and it is
likely to lead to very important devel-
OpementS along that street. Broadway
by its extension into the country is one
of the easiest grades between the coun-
try and the city. 1t already has busi-
ness houses along each each side of it as
far as the railroad bridge, and there is
fair prospect of the erection of a num-
Der of other business structures along
that street within the next year.
-
AS soon as the general Office building
being constructed by the Manitoba road
is completed and occupied. it will add
wonderfully to the travel out Broadway
paved and excellent sidewalks laid so
that it is unobjectionable for vehicles
or fOotman. Within the near future,
Broadway is likely to increase in value
as largely as any other street that runs
at right angles with Third street, Its
values in real estate are at present less
than half of those of Jackson, Rob-
ert, or Wabasha street frontages, and it
is so located that it certainly will rank
in value in the near future with those
streets.
Another very important sale has been
made during the week. The parties
who made the purchase are from De-
troit, Mich, and the principal party in
interest is a large capitalist who has for
few years past been investing liber-
ally in st. Paul property and always
with favorable results. He has pur-
chased about 100 feet square on the cor
ner of Fifth and Robert streets for
$4,000, the contract for the purchase
having been made on Friday of last
week. 1t is not known to what special
use or purpose the property is to be de-
voted, but the expectation is that it
will result in large and handsome
structure to be erected next season.
~
Negotiations in regard to some other
business properties, amounting in the
aggregate to nearly 100000, are under
way, and will without doubt be consum-
mated in the near future. This looks as
though confidence in centrally located
business property was by no means
diminishing. Parties that have came
here recently from Kansas City are
very favOrably impressed with the out
look, and claim that at present prices
st. Paul property is so low that it is al
most impossible that there should not
be very handsome advance. Some
gentlemen who travel extensively over
the country, and who have visited the
Pacific coast and nearly all the points
where there has been the greatest
activity, returned to st. Paul with un-
bounded confidence that her future will
show better developments than at any
other point Oh the continent.
~
On the other hand, there are some
very conservative men, principally
citizens of st. Paul, who still have a
keen impression of the reverses which
o,,a,+ooIy +hic oitv IL, tba vaorc 1877 o,d